EP0608909B1 - Process and device for making packages made from sheet material - Google Patents

Abstract

2.1. (Sheet) packages (51) of the present type are primarily used for accommodating folded paper pocket handkerchiefs. The packages (51) are provided with a re-closable opening aid. This consists of a tear-open tab (34) or a folding flap and an adhesive label (49) or adhesive strip (47). <??>2.2. For the purpose of an efficient manufacture and special design of such packages (51), these are fed in double rows (packaging rows 52, 53) and provided in pairs with adhesive labels (40) or adhesive strips (47). A particular advantage is afforded by the manufacture and feeding of double labels (55) or double strips (79), which are then severed during the transport of the packages (51) and folded into the end position. <??>2.3. By suitable design, namely dimensioning of the adhesive labels (40) with a connection piece (42) extending in the region of an end wall (27), the stability and handling of the packages is improved. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing packaging, in particular film packaging for paper handkerchiefs, with an opening aid having an external adhesive strip or an adhesive label and an adhesive-free handle end on the adhesive strip or adhesive label, the latter being made from a material web which preferably has a one-sided adhesive coating are separated and fed to the packaging together with the handle end, and the material web for forming the adhesive-free handle end is provided on the side coated with adhesive at one edge with a continuous cover strip which is also separated during the formation of the adhesive labels or adhesive strips.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for producing adhesive labels or adhesive strips and attaching them to a packaging according to the preamble of the independent device claim. The divisional application on which the present patent is based goes back to the application published under number EP-A-0 396 967. Reference is made to the content of the parent application mentioned.

Paper handkerchiefs are usually offered in cuboid packaging made from very thin plastic films. Such packaging usually contains ten folded paper handkerchiefs.

For some time now, the film packaging has been equipped with tear-open aids, mostly in a resealable version. In a particularly widespread film packaging of this type, a tear-open tab delimited by perforation lines is arranged in the area of a large front wall. This extends in the direction of an upper, small-area end wall. One end region of the tongue-shaped tear-open tab is provided with an adhesive strip which can be removed from the front wall with an adhesive-free end of the handle while taking the tear-open tab with it. This frees up an upper removal opening for the handkerchiefs, see for example DE-U-79 34 619. Other embodiments of such film packaging are also known, for example with a reclosable tear-open aid having an adhesive strip in the region of one of the elongated side walls of the packaging . The invention is concerned with the manufacture of such or similar packaging.

From DE-A-19 13 593 it is known to feed labels in pairs on a carrier tape to two adjacent rows of packs. The pre-made labels are removed from the carrier tape and glued to the packaging. From US 4,533,586 it is known to produce labels by separating an initially double-wide material web.

A method is known from US 2,675,851 used to form the respective preamble of claims 1 and 6, in which an adhesive-free material strip is first applied to an adhesive material web. Adhesive labels with the end of the handle are then separated from this composite and applied to packs fed one after the other.

The object on which the invention is based is to produce adhesive strips or adhesive labels with an adhesive-free handle end for the tear-open aid of the aforementioned packagings, and to attach them to the pack in an efficient manner, so that they can be manufactured inexpensively.

• a) die Materialbahn ist doppelt breit, das heißt ihre Breite entspricht mindestens der Abmessung von zwei nebeneinanderliegenden Klebestreifen bzw. Klebeetiketten, und wird in ihrer Längsmitte während des Transports fortlaufend durchtrennt unter Bildung von zwei Teilbahnen,
• b) die einzelnen Klebestreifen bzw. Klebeetiketten werden jeweils paarweise von den Teilbahnen abgetrennt und gleichzeitig den paarweise positionsgerecht einander gegenüberliegenden und in zwei Reihen zugeförderten Verpackungen zugeführt und auf diese aufgebracht,
• c) zur Bildung der klebefreien Griffenden wird die Materialbahn an beiden Rändern mit einem durchlaufenden Abdeckstreifen (Teilstreifen) versehen.

To achieve the object, the method according to the invention is characterized by the following features:

• a) the material web is double wide, that is, its width corresponds at least to the dimension of two adjacent adhesive strips or adhesive labels, and is continuously cut through in the longitudinal center during transport to form two partial webs,
• b) the individual adhesive strips or adhesive labels are each separated in pairs from the partial webs and at the same time fed to and applied to the packaging, which is positioned opposite one another in pairs and in two rows, and applied to these,
• c) To form the tack-free handle ends, the material web is provided on both edges with a continuous cover strip (partial strip).

Further features of the invention relate to the production method for the packaging or the tear-open aid and the configuration of the device, which is defined in claim 6.

Fig. 1

eine Folien-Verpackung für Papier-Taschentücher mit Aufreißhilfe in perspektivischer Darstellung,

Fig. 2

einen Abschnitt einer Folienbahn zur Bildung von Zuschnitten für eine Verpackung gemäß Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine andere Ausführung einer Folien-Verpackung für Papier-Taschentücher, ebenfalls in perspektivischer Darstellung,

Fig. 4

eine Materialbahn zur Bildung von (doppelt breiten) Klebeetiketten im Grundriß,

Fig. 5

ein doppelt breites Klebeetikett (Doppeletikett),

Fig. 6

Einzelheiten einer Vorrichtung zum Herstellen und Anbringen von (Doppeletiketten) in perspektivischer, vereinfachter Darstellung,

Fig. 7

die Einzelheiten der Vorrichtung gemäß Fig. 6 in schematischer Seitenansicht,

Fig. 8

Einzelheiten einer Vorrichtung sowie eines gegenüber dem Ausführungsbeispiel der Fig. 6 modifizierten Verfahrens zum Herstellen und Anbringen von Klebeetiketten an Verpackungen, in perspektivischer Darstellung,

Fig. 9

eine Materialbahn für die Herstellung von doppelt breiten Klebestreifen (Doppelstreifen),

Fig. 10

eine Vorrichtung zum Herstellen und Anbringen von doppelt breiten Klebestreifen an Verpackungen in perspektivischer Darstellung.

An exemplary embodiment for the production of the adhesive strips or adhesive labels and for the device is explained in more detail below. 8 relates precisely to the method and the device according to the invention. The remaining figures serve for a better understanding of the environment of the invention and partly relate to details not belonging to the scope of the invention. Show it:

Fig. 1

a film packaging for paper handkerchiefs with tear aid in perspective,

Fig. 2

1 shows a section of a film web for forming blanks for a packaging according to FIG. 1,

Fig. 3

another version of a film packaging for paper handkerchiefs, also in perspective,

Fig. 4

a material web for the formation of (double-wide) adhesive labels in the floor plan,

Fig. 5

a double-wide adhesive label (double label),

Fig. 6

Details of a device for producing and attaching (double labels) in a perspective, simplified representation,

Fig. 7

6 shows the details of the device according to FIG. 6 in a schematic side view,

Fig. 8

Details of a device and of a method for producing and attaching adhesive labels to packaging, modified from the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 6, in a perspective representation,

Fig. 9

a material web for the production of double-wide adhesive strips (double strips),

Fig. 10

a device for producing and attaching double-wide adhesive strips to packaging in perspective.

In Fig. 1 a packaging is shown, which can consist of very thin film (z. B. 30μ). The packaging is particularly suitable for holding a stack of folded paper handkerchiefs.

The packaging is produced from a rectangular blank 20, which is shown in FIG. 2 as a section of a continuous film web 21. The blank 20 is intended for the formation of a front wall 22, a rear wall 23, a side wall 24 arranged between them and overlapping side wall tabs 25, 26 which are connected to one another by seals. Folding flaps connect to the free sides of the aforementioned pack walls Formation of an upper end wall 27 and a corresponding bottom wall 28. The folding tabs in question are outer and inner longitudinal tabs 29, 30 and side tabs 31, 32. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the end wall 27 - and correspondingly the bottom wall 28 - is designed such that first the side tabs 31, 32 are turned inwards against the contents of the package and then folding the longitudinal flaps 30 and 29, the latter having a trapezoidal shape.

The packaging is provided with a tear-open aid in the area of the front wall 22. A tear-open tab 34 is delimited by an arched perforation line 33 in the present case, which is formed in an area of the front wall 22 facing the end wall 27. The perforation line 33 extends to an edge formed between the front wall 22 and the front wall 27, namely a front edge 35. This is also the pivot axis for the tear-open tab 34 during the opening and closing movements of the same. The perforation lines 33 end at a distance from the front, upright side edges 36, 37 and at the same time from the front corners 38, 39 formed between the front wall 22 and the front wall 27.

The tear-open tab 34 is actuated by an externally attached adhesive label 40, which preferably consists of a somewhat thicker film with a permanent adhesive coating applied on one side.

The adhesive label 40 is designed, dimensioned and arranged in a special way in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. As can be seen, the adhesive label 40 has larger dimensions in the longitudinal and transverse directions than the tear-open tab 34. The adhesive label 40, which is likewise curved in the lower region here, extends in the region of the front wall 22 with a rectilinear boundary edge 41 (approximately) adjoining the curved contour the side edges 36, 37 of the front wall 22. This is accordingly in a region facing the end wall 27 almost the full width covered by the adhesive label 40.

A connecting piece 42 of the adhesive label 40 extends in the same width, that is to say in a rectangular configuration, in the plane of the end wall 27 and is connected to it by gluing. The connecting piece 42 is dimensioned such that it covers approximately half the surface of the end wall 27 on the outside and extends in the region of the outer longitudinal tab 29 and the side tabs 31 and 32. The area of the tear-open tab and in particular the loaded area of the end wall 27 are stabilized by the adhesive label 40 and in particular by its connecting piece 42. This remains in the bonding position with the end wall 27 even during the opening and closing movements.

The adhesive label is provided with an adhesive-free handle end 43 at a lower area outside the tear-open tab 34. This is formed in that a non-adhesive strip material is glued to the side of the adhesive label 40 provided with adhesive.

In the embodiment of a (film) packaging shown in FIG. 3, the tear-open aid is attached in the region of a side wall 44 of the packaging, which is created by gluing the two longitudinal tabs 29, 30. The outer longitudinal tab 29 is at the same time an opening tab as part of the longitudinal tab 29 with lateral delimitation by separating cuts 46.

An elongated, rectangular adhesive strip 47 made of a film with an adhesive coating on one side extends here with one leg in the region of the side wall 44 connected to the opening tab 45 and with another leg in the region of the front wall 22. At the free end of the adhesive strip 47 in the region of the front wall 22, an adhesive-free handle end 50 is formed in an analogous manner to the exemplary embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2.

4 to 7 show details of a method and a device which are particularly suitable for the production of packages according to FIGS. 1 and 2 - but also of other packages with a tear-open aid. As can be seen, cuboid (film) packs 51 are conveyed in two parallel pack rows 52, 53 coming from a packaging machine, a store or the like. In the exemplary embodiment selected here, the packs 21 of the two pack rows 52, 53 are rectified after the manufacturing process. For the simultaneous application of adhesive labels 40 to two pairs of adjacent packages 51 of the package rows 52 and 53, the packages 51 of one package row - in the exemplary embodiment of the package row 53 - must be rotated by 180 °, so that the packages 51 of the two package rows 52, 53 with their end walls 27 facing each other. The front walls 22 are directed upwards.

In such a relative position, the pack rows 52, 53 are conveyed (continuously) to a label station 54. In this case, double-width adhesive labels, that is to say double labels 55, are placed simultaneously on two mutually adjacent packs 51 of the pack rows 52, 53. For this purpose, the rows of packs 52, 53 are arranged at such a distance from one another that the double label 55 can be positioned correctly on both packs 51, namely with the part assigned to the front wall 22 in each case. Accordingly, in an intermediate position, the double label 55 rests on the front walls 22 of the packaging 51 adjacent in pairs and connects them to one another. The part of the (to be manufactured) individual adhesive labels 40 used to form the connecting piece 42 is exposed as a connecting bridge between the two packages 51.

In the course of further transport of the pairs of packages 51, the double labels 51 are separated by a cut 56 (Fig. 5) in the middle plane between the two packages 51 cut to form two separate adhesive labels 40.

The areas of the adhesive labels 40 which protrude from the front edge 35 beyond the front wall 22, namely the connecting pieces 42 thereof, are then folded over into the (vertical) plane of the end wall 27 and glued to it. Thus, two packages 51 in the embodiment according to FIG. 1 are produced at the same time.

The double labels 55 are separated in the area of the label station 54 from a correspondingly dimensioned, that is to say at least double-wide, material web 57 made of film material. The material web 57 provided with an adhesive on one side is wound into a bobbin 58. The material web 57 is continuously drawn off from this and conveyed to the periphery of a transfer roller 61 via deflection rollers 59, 60. This is arranged with its lateral surface immediately above the packages 51 or pack rows 52, 53, such that adhesive labels 40 or adhesive strips 47 or double labels 55 formed on the jacket of the transfer roller 61 are transferred to the upward-facing side of the packages 51, and during the transport movement of the same.

Individual adhesive labels 40, adhesive strips 47 or double labels 55 are produced in the area of the transfer roller 61 by punching from the material web 57. For this purpose, a cutting roller 62 is assigned to the transfer roller 61. This is provided on the circumference with protruding knives 63 which are arranged in a contour corresponding to the adhesive labels, adhesive strips or double labels to be produced. The cutting roller 62 can be used to produce individual adhesive labels 40 or adhesive strips 47 - in pairs - or double labels 55, namely by abutting the cutting roller 62 or the knives 63 on the outer surface of the transfer roller 61 or on the on this running material web 57.

6, 7 and 8, double labels 55 are punched out of the material web 57. The width of the material web 57 is chosen so that lateral waste strips 64 remain as residue on the transfer roller 61. In the device shown, these waste strips 64 are collected by winding them onto a waste bobbin 65 and are thus removed without impairing the production process.

The double labels 55 are placed one after the other and continuously on the packs of the pack rows 52, 53 fed in pairs. These are facing each other with their end walls 27 and arranged at such a distance from one another that the above-described attachment of the double label 55 to the top of the two packages 51 is ensured.

Following the attachment of the double label 55 to the two packages 51, the separating cut 56 takes place in the middle of the double label 55 between the two packages 51, specifically by means of a stationary, circumferential, disk-shaped separating knife 66.

The packs 51 are then conveyed continuously, in the exemplary embodiment shown while maintaining the relative position. The connecting pieces 42 of the adhesive labels 40 formed after the separating cut and protruding beyond the front wall 22 of the packages 51 are folded down together into the plane of the end wall 27. For this purpose, a stationary folding member is provided in the movement path of the rows of packs 52, 53 between them. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this is designed as a rotating folding disk 67. The shape of the folding disk 67 is adapted to the folding process, namely double conical. Inclined folding surfaces 68 arranged on both sides capture the protrusion, namely the connector 42 and move it downwards until a flat flat part 69 of the folding disk 67 presses the folded-over connecting piece 42 against the end wall 27 due to the relative position. The packaging 51 is now completed with respect to the tear aid.

The handle end 43 attached to the adhesive labels 40 is made from a strip of material 70 made of paper, foil or the like and is applied to the adhesive side of the adhesive label 40. The material strip 70 is continuously drawn off from a material roll 71. In the present exemplary embodiment, the material strip 70 is of double width and is severed in the middle during transport, specifically by a cutting knife 72. The distance formed is aligned with the desired relative position of the partial strips 73, 74 on the material web 57. The partial strips 73, 74 are pressed continuously against the edge of the material web 57, specifically on the side provided with adhesive. The partial strips 73, 74 are thus firmly connected to the edge regions of the material web 57. The relative position of the partial strips 73, 74 is such that when punching or cutting the adhesive labels 40 or double labels 55, the handle ends 50 are formed at the intended end or edge of the adhesive labels 44. Waste material arising in the region of the partial strips 73, 74 during the punching process is removed with the waste strip 64.

The actual invention is a modification of the method described above and the device and can be seen from FIG. 8. Here, the described double labels 55 are not cut or punched from the material web 57, but rather this device is set up for the production of individual adhesive labels 40 and for attaching them in pairs to two packages 51 in each case. For this purpose, the material web provided with the partial strips 73, 74 57 in front of the cutting or punching point, that is to say before reaching the transfer roller 61 and the cutting roller 62, divided in the longitudinal center during continuous transport, namely by a disk-shaped cutting knife 76. The partial webs 77, 78 thus formed become circumferential at a distance from one another the transfer roller 61 brought up. In this exemplary embodiment, the knives 63 of the cutting roller 62 abutting the transfer roller 61 are set up in such a way that individual adhesive labels 40 arranged at a distance from one another are formed in the region of each partial web 77, 78 on the circumference of the transfer roller.

These are then transferred to the top of the packaging 51 in the manner described, such that a protrusion of the adhesive labels, namely the connector 42, projects beyond the packaging. These connecting pieces 42 are folded over against the end wall 27 in the course of the further transport of the packaging 51, either by means of a folding element (folding disk 67) corresponding to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 6, or else by means of fixed curved folding elements.

The described method and the devices are also suitable in an analogous manner for the production and application of adhesive strips 47 which are common in many packages (FIGS. 9 and 10). The method and device for producing and attaching such adhesive strips 47 are designed in a manner analogous to the exemplary embodiments already described. The same parts of the device are therefore provided with the reference numbers of the preceding exemplary embodiments in FIG. 10.

According to the exemplary embodiments described, the adhesive strips 47 can be produced in double width by separating them from the material web 57 to form double-long adhesive strips - double strips 79 - or in pairs as individual adhesive strips 47. When producing double strips 79, as shown in FIG. 9, become this is placed on packaging supplied in pairs and then severed in the middle, in the present case by the separating knife 66. A protruding leg 48 of the adhesive strips 47 is thereby formed, which is also folded down here in the manner already described by a folding element 67 designed as a folding disk 67 . The embodiment of FIG. 10 shows the production of packaging according to FIG. 3, in which the tear strip is gripped with the leg 49 in the region of the front wall 42 and with the leg 48 in the region of the elongated side wall 44.

For this purpose, the packages 51 are conveyed with their longitudinal axes pointing in the conveying direction in two parallel rows of packs 52, 53. Due to the different relative position when the packs 51 are fed, they are rotated by 90 ° in both pack rows 52, 53, so that the side walls face one another. As in the exemplary embodiments described, the rotation of the packaging 51 is effected here by rotary pistons 80 which can be acted upon by suction air and which are arranged above the rows of packs 52, 53 and are rotatably driven.

Due to the small width of the adhesive strips 47 or double strips 79, a cutting roller 81 is formed differently from the cutting roller 62 of the described exemplary embodiments, namely with a plurality of axially parallel cutting blades 82 which are arranged along the circumference at equal intervals 61 each a double strip 79 (or two individual adhesive strips 47) separated from the material web 57.

Claims (9)

1. Process for producing packs, in particular film packs for paper handkerchiefs, having an opening aid which has an adhesive strip (47) or adhesive label (40) resting on the outside, and having an adhesive-free grip end (43, 50) on the adhesive strip (47) or adhesive label (40), the latter being severed from a material web (57), which preferably has an adhesive coating on one side, and being fed to the pack together with the grip end (43, 50), and, for the purpose of forming the adhesive-free grip end (43, 50), the material web (57) being provided, on a border of the side coated with adhesive, with a continuous covering strip which is also severed when the adhesive labels or adhesive strips are formed, characterized by the following features:

   a) the material web (57) is of double width, that is to say its width corresponds at least to the dimension of two adhesive strips (47) or adhesive labels (40) located one beside the other and is severed continuously along its longitudinal centre during transportation, two partial webs (77, 78) being formed in the process,

   b) the individual adhesive strips (47) or adhesive labels (40) are in each case severed in pairs from the partial webs (77, 78) and, at the same time, fed to the packs (51) and attached thereon, said packs being opposite one another in pairs in the correct position and being fed in two rows,

   c) in order to form the adhesive-free grip ends (43, 50), the material web (57) is provided on the two borders with a continuous covering strip (partial strips 73, 74).
2. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that the packs (51) on which the labels (40) or strips (47), come to rest are located with their end walls (27) or side walls (44) facing one another.
3. Process according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in order to form the grip ends (43, 50), the covering strips (partial strips 73, 74) are formed by cutting a double-width material strip (70) in the centre and are then guided in a divergent manner into a relative position necessary for attachment on border regions of the material web (57).
4. Process according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that, when the packs (51) are fed in two paths, the packs of one pack row (52) are turned through 180° such that adjacent packs of the pack rows (52, 53) face one another with the end walls (27).
5. Process according to Claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that, in order to apply adhesive strips (47) in the region of the front wall (22) and side wall (44), the packs (51) fed in two rows (pack rows 52, 53) are turned through 90° in each case such that they face one another with the side walls (44).
6. Apparatus for producing adhesive labels (40) or adhesive strips (47) and applying the same on a pack, in particular a film pack for paper handkerchiefs, preferably for carrying out the process according to one or more of Claims 1 to 5, it being possible for the packs (51) to be fed to a label station (54) for the attachment of the adhesive labels (40) or adhesive strips (47), it being possible, moreover, for the adhesive labels (40) or adhesive strips (47), after having been severed from a material web (57) preferably with an adhesive coating on one side, to be transferred onto the upper side or front wall (22) of the packs (51), and it being possible to feed an adhesive-free material strip (70) to the material web (57) in order to produce adhesive-free grip ends (43, 50) on the adhesive labels (40) or adhesive strips (47), characterized by the following features:

   a) a transfer roller (61) which transfers in each case two adhesive labels (40) or adhesive strips (47) simultaneously onto the packs after said labels or strips have been severed from the correspondingly dimensioned, double-width material web (57);

   b) a first cutter (76), which is arranged upstream of the transfer roller (61) and by means of which the material web (67) can be severed, along the longitudinal centre, into two partial webs (77, 78) before being fed to the transfer roller (61);

   c) means for feeding the material strip (70) in a double width and a second cutter (72) for severing the material strip along the longitudinal centre, partial strips (73, 74) being formed in the process, in order to produce the adhesive-free grip ends (43, 50);

   d) means which feed the partial strips (73, 74) at a distance from one another to the borders of the material web (57) and connect said partial strips to that side of the material web (57) which has the adhesive layer,

   e) means which feed the partial webs (77, 78) along with the partial strips (73, 74), and at a distance from one another, to the circumference of the transfer roller (61).
7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, characterized by a cutting roller (62, 81) which interacts with the transfer roller (61) and is intended for severing the adhesive labels (40) or adhesive strips (47) from the material web (57) or from the partial webs (77, 78).
8. Apparatus according to Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that at least one folding means (folding disc 67) is arranged in the region between the pack rows (52, 53) and is intended for folding over those parts of the adhesive labels (40) or adhesive strips (47) which project beyond the packs (51), in particular the connection pieces (42) or legs (48).
9. Apparatus according to Claim 6 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that, by way of abutment on the circumference of a deflection roller (75), the partial strips (73, 74) are conveyed at a distance from one another and fed to the material web (57) or the borders thereof.

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